


What Happens Next

by a_desiredconflict



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Anger, Explosions, F/M, Magic, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-31 21:12:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12141237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_desiredconflict/pseuds/a_desiredconflict
Summary: The aftermath of the battle at the gallows





	What Happens Next

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and suggestions on how I could better this story and others are always welcome. Thank you for reading!

The ground was trembling beneath our feet and before we had a chance to fully realize what was happening we were doing our best to stay upright as the ground wretched violently. We were then blinded by a column of light that tore asunder the largest building in front of us. The light stretched to the heavens breaking the clouds and shadowed the city in an evil red glow. The boom from its birth required me to cover my ears but still left them ringing in pain. I allowed a minute or two to pass before I removed my hands and opened my eyes again. My senses were back in time to witness balls of fire whistle through the air and land throughout the city causing more damage to the white buildings of Kirkwall. These missiles of debris were what remained of the Chantry, the epicenter and only place of faith for Kirkwall.  
Despite the possible damage done to my hearing from the explosion I still managed to hear Sebastian's tormented scream. He was the priest among my eight companions and couldn’t control his anguish when the reality settled that it was his precious Chantry that had just become no more than burning rubble. I looked down at him from his position on his knees. I watched him as he slowly stood up and listened as he recited a prayer asking the Maker to receive His children souls. Then I heard the arsonist's voice say, "There will be no compromise".

"Hawke?" Varric, the story telling dwarf snapped me back to reality. I was standing on the docks still near the boat that had just brought us back from the Gallows. Varric was looking up at me with obvious concern and fatigue on his un-bearded face. I looked around to see my other companions had stopped as well and were staring at me. They were expecting me to speak.

I opened my mouth to do so but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say after everything we have done and seen tonight?

"We should probab..." was cut short by the fist that connected to his jaw. Anders should have thought better than that with Avaline, the woman shaped battering ram, so close to him. "You will not speak, mage!" she screamed as she walked towards his new position on the ground. I watched as she was closing the distance and it was causing Anders blue glow begin beneath his skin. "Avaline, stop" I shouted to her as i stepped in front of Anders to block her path. I would have loved to watch her pummel him but I couldn't risk Anders being taken over by the spirit of Justice and possibly killing Avaline. We'd already lost too many lives tonight  
She had closed the distance and stared into my face. Her eyes were filled with tears of anger, mourning accompanying the hate for the one who caused all this pain. "Why are you still defending this murderous abomination, Hawke?!" she screamed. "Why Hawke?! Hundreds of innocent people, Templars and mages are dead because of Anders!"  
I let my arms hang loose at my side and looked down at my feet as she continued to yell at me but I couldn’t hear her anymore. I was reliving all the moments that my sword went through a templar that I had known for years to protect mages from them. I was seeing First Enchanter Orsino give into a demon becoming an abomination to protect himself. I was watching my sister Bethany’s tears hit the ground after we killed the first enchanter. I was hearing Sebastian's scream again. Damn Sebastian.

I came back to now once more running my eyes over the six companions still with me. Sebastian had left after I defended Anders the first time back at the Chantry and my mage sister had stayed behind to help those still alive at the Gallows.  
Avaline was no longer yelling at me. She was sitting on a crate with her back to me as Varric stood next to her with his hand on her shoulder in a consoling silence. Isabela was holding Merril as she quietly cried into her shoulder and Fenris was leaning against a warehouse with his broadsword tip placed on the ground with his hands tightly wrapped around the hilt. Anders was still behind me.

What were we supposed to do next? Could I reassure them that life would return to normal as it did after I defeated the Qunari invasion? I was the Champion of Kirkwall damn it! I always had a quip to lighten the load on my friends’ minds. They had fought beside me to defeat the Knight Commander and stop her plan to kill every mage. They supported me despite their own beliefs because they trusted me and here I was unable to even console them.

The turmoil in my mind must have been easy to see on face because I saw Anders start to reach his hand out to touch me from the corner of my eye. Before he could make contact though i jerked out of reach. He let his hand fall back down and turned his eyes away from me in shame. He was the mage responsible for this. He blew up the Chantry and gave Knight commander Meredith the ammunition she needed to enact the rite of annulment. Anders was the reason we had to kill so many templars who were just trying to do what they believed was right. Good men and women who felt they had a calling to protect mages from people and people from mages. He is the one who caused Bethany to be in more danger than she already was by just being a Circle mage. Yet I couldn’t kill him when he gave me the chance back at the Chantry.  
He had been on his knees allowing me the chance to stab him right there and then but I refused. He needs to live and see what he has done. I do understand his reasons for doing it. I know about the cases of mage mistreatment and wanted to do something about it as well but this was not the right way. To make matters worse, he had deceived me into helping him create the spell that had killed hundreds. He would live to see what he had done wrong and live with their blood on his hands. I wasn’t going to allow those bloody hands to touch me ever again.  
Fenris walked away from his brooding point having seen what just happened. His slender elf arms covered in armor wrapped around me. He held me and said, "Don’t worry Hawke. The abomination will never touch you again". I felt him lift his face towards Anders. "I won’t allow it", he whispered venomously. I wrapped my arms around him in return. I forget that I need consoling sometimes too. So, I nestled my face into his neck for a few wonderful moments to feel the love that was still there despite everything. I was ready to move from the docks now.

"Alright", I said aloud as I let go of Fenris causing everyone to lift their heads in my direction. "Let’s go find our loved ones. We'll meet up at the Hanged Man in two hours to determine our next move". I grabbed Fenris's hand as we all took the first steps away from the docks and towards the next chapter of our lives.


End file.
